Shoe sewing machine



y 1952 A. s. CLARK 2,604,859

SHOE SEWING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1948 2 SHEETSv-SHEET 1 July 29, 1952 A. s. CLARK 2,604,859

SHOE SEWING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 J6 Z4 41 i 34.

verdvr LFRfOS-CLARK Br/fi Arr 5r W161i? v Patented July 29, 1952 Alfred's; Clark,"Be verly, Mass ass ignor to United 'ShoeMachineryfcorporationfFlemington;NJ

- a corporation of -Newl Jersey ApplicationNovember 1c, 1943, Serial No. 60,209

81 Claims. 1

-f. 'llhepresent invention relatesrtoxMcKayI shoe" r sole sewing machines and more particularly-to ering devices for a straighthool; needle machine lhaving a rotaryshoe supporting horn in which v the stitch forming devices,-except;ior alneeldle I threading whirl, are located .atjthe opposite-side of the work fromthe horn. example of. a machine of this type isl disclosedfin- UnitedStajtes ..Letters,Patent No.- 710L612, granted October 7,

J 'lQ'OZQ-rupon application of E. P. ,Richardson, No, 1,114 287, granted October 20, 1914,; upon; apps:

tation of Bay and No.. 13,38,778, granted ,Qecem ber, .10 l929, -u pon application loi BI T;

In ash'oe being sewn bya machineof the type s vsole are attached with stitches passing through the parts while the shoe is being presentd-t'othe stitch formingdeviceswithout the uSef aESup- ,portinglast. To support the pai'ts -ofltheshoe 'beingjsewn the hor'nenterswithinthelshoe and Iis',bent laterally'to one sideioflthe needle .to .jen'able ,the' horn toiente'r-into .the extremity-of 1 ashoe "toe while the sole is kept approximately level. The hornrhas a circularworkjs'upportingjp'ortion on "its ,tip of .JsuitabIe dimensions" ;to provideanenclosureffora.small needlelthreadji'ng whirl. While sewing. aboutthe toe ofashoe f thehorn is 'turn'ejdtwith thersh'oe; the 'sl'ioefbe- V jing; fed by a feed .point or awl' tofcarry" (the seam amundflthe toe; 4 ments ofjthefshoe', the-shoe sole is clamped against the hornibya presser foot'which engage'sflthe sole "at a point separated a stitchjlengthfrom the point of .needle operation. The usual ar rapgementis for theneedle, the feed point and h 'th'epresser to engage theshoe. sole serially along gthedine 'of'the s'eam gthe vfeed lpointjbeinglocated gfbetweeinlthe needleuand the pressergfoot. 'Ifhe @pre'sser"foottherefore is separated from thencej.j,dle ,path ore than the length of a stitch. Be

: cause of the separation of 'the presser foot jfrom H vthe, point of needle operation it v frequently, does notjen'gage the shoe iflsole directly abovefthe work engaging' surface' of the horn tip. It'is essential githe'rerorei to have vvthe Dresser ,footj engage jthe Qshoe "sole "with substantially. greater. .pressurej in jofd'er to i'es'ist displacement of the shoe from the I horn during, stitch formation than would be nec- 'essary if the presser foot were directly above they horn tip. 1 B'y reason of the pressure of the presser .fo'ot considerable resistance ,may' be] imparted to itheturning'movement of the shoe. Furthermore,

.ldisclosedin .the"patents, the ,sole. upper and Bin Between ,feeding move-' there sgatend ncy forthe'presser foottowind'ent a aeefjoi sole and tci rorm' ;permanent L'llZf-M) V markings: which, do. not add ;to t e appearances: the shoe; v

Theobiects of the present inyention aretosimplify and improvethe linachinepf the patents 5 above referredito in suchway that the'sole of a 'Shbi lbeine. ngma'y iefiect 'f e i'q a p .vflagaiiistiftl'iegworkjsupporting"horn witha niuch ff 1ghter lpressjurejthan heretofore employed for this purpose and may be guided about the curved *Esaleability or 1 portions of ashoe. sole, particularly about the toe or a shoe; more. readily than withprior machines f'l'andi with the exercise offless skill and abilityon the part of l the operator than is customarily required; e

A further objector theinvention isto simplify .and improve the pressero'f a McKay type; rotary "horn shoe sole sewing machinejaiid toprovide an -arrangement of the, operating parts which will I. re1ieve substantially the crowded relationship of d, the-stitch forming devices aboutthe; sewing point v land still further :topr'ovide fiinfthe inachine a jnoyel and improved ;form of thread cutter.

Q To these ends, the present 'machine isequipped witha presser in the form'of a-frusto conical'roll mounted for rotation about an axis intersecting thepath of the'recipro'cating' hook needle forl en. 1 jgagement with the slice of that part of the conical jr'oll surfacehavingits greatest diameter: portion close to 'the needle at one side of the seam-line anddirectly above the work engaging'surfa'ce of the horn; instead of being spaced along theseam 1 .line asin 'the case' of the usual 'ma'chine 'of type. Such construction enables a-direct clampjing engagement of the presser roll with the; shoe sole' opposite to and directly aboye the circular "shoe Supporting portion of-the horn rather than at a point separated horizontally from-thatpart [of the .shoe sole engaging the horn. 'Bysuch arrangement, less pressure is required--of;the mpresser to secure the shoe sole in position}: the prlessure being exerted at a more-advantageous location closer to the needle. Furthermore, the use of a roll gives direction tothe mOVeme'ntof the shoe during feeding and renders the-effort of guidin the shoe less burdensome. In this'respect a further feature of I the invention comprises an edge gage roll rotatably mounted-along} the f searnfline aboutanaxis opposite the needle path. Theme of such edge gagerolls-if1 combination 5 with a presserroll enableseasy turning niovement of the shoe with-the horn; particularly when v the presser roll 'engages'the shoe sole-with a clamping pressure exerted at the same side; of the needle path with the edge gage roll. 31 0; ,double 5.1; rows w net ed e sessi n p ad l radi stab 3 into either of two predetermined positions. Accordingly, in the illustrative embodiment of the invention hereinafter described, the edge gage roll is carried by a slide mounted in a guideway and provided with a pair of separate latches arranged to be released simultaneously.

These and other features of the invention consist inthe constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will readily be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,"in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevationof a'sewing head and a portion of a rotary worksupporting horn in a machine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective detail view of the straight hook needle in the machine of Fig. 1, the upper endof the work supporting horn and the, thread cutter in inoperative position, illustrating the relationship ofthe parts;

ig. 3 is a similar view showing the thread cutter in operative position;

' Fig. 4 is a perspective detail viewofa modified form of thread cutter in operative position;

- Fig. 5 is a planlview on an enlarged' 'scale iof the edge gage and its readily adjustablemounting;

Fig. 6 is a view in right side elevation of the edge gage and adjustable mounting, together with thepresser roll: and upper portion of therotary horn showing the manner of guiding a shoe;

' Fig. 7 is a view in front elevation of the presser and edge gage rolls; and Y Fig. 8 is a sectional view. taken along the'line VIIIVHI of Fig. 6.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is of the same construction and mode of operation, except as hereinafter pointed out, asthat disclosed in the Richardson and Ray patents above referred to. Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the straight hook needle is indicated 'at"2, the

- rotary shoe supportinghorn at 45am the'feed point at 6. Other stitch forming devices also are provided acting during sewing to (new loops of thread through the work and to set each stitch by tightening the loops against the work. The

horn 4 is shaped at its upper work engaging end with a circular shoe supporting portion 8 (Fig. 3)

having a needle receiving opening at its center about the axis of which the horn rotates. .The upper end of the horn is inclined to enter the toe of a small sized shoe so that inturning the shoe the horn rotates with it about the path of the reciprocating needle as a center without changing the relationship of the circular work supporting portion 8 of the horn tip withthe needle. The feed point 6 engages the'work a stitch length in advance of the needle path and moves to bring the indentation formed thereby into line with the needle path.

In the machine of the patents above noted, a presser foot engages the surface of the shoe sole,

I I similar to that indicated at l0,along the line of the seam more than a stitchlength inadvance of the needle path to provide space for the operation of the feed point. For this reason, the

presser foot may engage the shoe sole l0 outside the area of the sole supported byfthe circular portion 8 on the horn. Even under themost favorable conditions with themachine adjusted for inserting relatively short stitches, themove- 10 .point, the shoe sole, in the machine of the present invention, is engaged by a clamping member 1: close to "the needle at the rear side of the seam line opposite the circular shoe supporting portion j 8 of the horn. To this end the sole is engaged "by afpresser roll [2 of frusto-conical shape mounted for rotation about an inclined axis in- I tersecting the path of the reciprocating needle and with that part of the conical roll surface having the greatest diameter disposed to engage that area of the sole supported by engagement [with the portion 8 of the horn a'substantial distanceinside theedge of said portion; Because the presser roll engages the shoe sole much closer to the needle path than doesthe presser foot of -the'prior machines, a clamping engagement of greater effective extent; 'is obtained along the sole and fearless pressure-is required to maintain the Genie in icl'amped position. 'Aiccordingly',a' small fractiononly of the springpressure exerted on the presser footin prior machines is required for f-obtaining' a} clamping action-by t he presser roll {in the present-machine; Furthermore, it is no longer-necessary to lock the presser roll in en- 7 gagement with the work during the formation of 5 each stitch, the-presser foot locking parts and their actuating mechanism disclosed in the prior patents being j eliminated from the" present machines i 1 In the prior patented machines the presser foot engages the work in line with the seam and in advance of the feed'point so that as the feed point operates it draws the sole beneath the presser foot and tends during work feed to maintain, throughfrictional dragon the sole, a uniform straight line movement 'of the shoe past thesewing'point. The change in location of clamping pressure in the present arrangement of the presser roll is compensated for byrotation of the roll giving direction to the feedingimovement 0 I even though the roll is disposed at one side of the seam line and the awl acts in feeding the shoe to bring its indentation into a position oppbs'ite to the portion of the presser roll circumference engaging the shoe.

g, Toassist the straight line feeding action in the present machine and to reduce any tendency of one-sided frictional drag on the shoe sole during feed, the present machine is provided with an edgegage roll 14, having an adjustable mountmg car'ried'bya bracketfifi substituted "for the presser foot of the patented machines. As with the vpresser foot of the patented machines, the bracket i6 is secured to the lower'end ofa presser foot bar l8 slidably mounted in the frame of the 5 machine for clamping movement toward and from the work. The bracket I8 is formed with a laterally projecting slotted arm throughwhich a'clamping stud 20'is inserted tosecure the brackett'o thepresser bar. The presser roll l2 j1rotatesabou't a shoulder screw 22 secured in a downwardly extending arm of the bracket IS.

The edge gage roll [4 rotatably mounted in "a novel and improved manner for convenient j adjustment on the bracket. l 6 to move towardand presser foot to engage theshoesole barely within from theneedle path so that a greater or less margin "between the seam and the ed'ge of the shoe sole may-be provided. Inits illustrated form, this mounting is quickly shiftable-to' either of two positions so that a double row of stitches may be inserted and that the change froin one row to. the other may easily be accomplished without stopping the machine. The adjustable mounting for the edge gage'rollfl comprises a guideway 24in the bracket l6; The guideway 24 'isdisposed substantially at right angles to the path of the reciprocating needle and supports 'an elongated slide 26 of T section upon which the edgegage roll is rotatably mounted. The rearward end of the slide 26 providedwith a 5 to the last formed stitch 50- while leaving sufii- 'cient thread between the needle and the horn toinsure proper formation of theiirst stitch in the-new seam. V R

" The thread cutter comprises a knife 52zmounted to swingltoward and from the needle path and to ent'er between the sides or the loopof thread 48 on'the needle. 1 The thread cutter knifelis in the form of a-fiat blade, pointed at its cutting end with its forwardly facing edge atthe point sharpconcavity 28' forming afinger grip portion by enedwhile the rearward edge remains unsharp- "bracket 16. 7

formed by the inner surfaces 38 of: the "box-like portion of 'the'bracket I6 and are disposed in parallel relation to the guideway 24forth'e' edge gage slide 2'6. To press the latches30 yieldingly means" of which-the slide may conveniently be ''moved forwardly or rearwardlywithin-its guideway. v

"To secure the slide 26 in either of'two'positions; the slide has pivotally-mounted upon-it a pair of separate-latches 30 by a pin 32 passing through a pair of upstanding flanges on "the releasing pads 34 are located side by side directly above the finger grip concavity 28 sothat in gripping the slide both-latches may be moved to releasing positions in a single grasping movement.

v The forward ends of the latches 30 are bent away from each other and are arranged to engage selectively with a pair of similar notched blocks 36 slidably mounted in reverserelationship-within fixed guideways' of' a box-like portion of the The guideways for the blocks-are against the blocks'the pads 34 are engaged-by a pair of coil springs 39 surrounding pins--40-secured to the pads and'passing loosely through openings in the slide. p

For limiting the forward andrearward movements of the cooperating latches 30 the notched blocks 36 each has a shoulder "at'one side'of each notch, but in reverse relationship to each other.

' The shoulders 4| are so arranged'that 'thelatches I shoulders 4|, the blocks being disposed relatively insure accurate "entry between the -sides of the ened-to' avoid severing both sides of the needle loop. The knifeis secured in'a slot of a block 54 fastened to the loweriend of areversely bent lever '56. The lever extends upwardly from the block 54 to a right angle bend, thence horizontally to a fulcrum stud 58 and'then upwardly to a handle portion.- The stud 58 projectsfrom a plate 59 clamped to the presser foot bar l8. The handle portion of the -lever 56 also carries a stop-clip -6ll-'adjustably secured by a screw 6l passing-through a slot in-the 'clip,so arranged that the clip'will engage the presser-foot'barto limit the thread cutting movement of r the knife 52 and prevent it from engagement with the other operating parts'of the machine.- The" lever 56 is normally held in an inoperative position with the knife retracted out of the needlepath bya tension spring 62 connected betweena pin on the "lever 56-and a pin of the machineframe;

'To guide the movements of the knife 52 and to j loop 48 of thread carried by the needle, a se'c- 0nd slot in the block 54 above the knife '52supports a forked guidemember'64 in';parallel;relation to the blade of the knife: The fork in the guide member provides an opening 'of'sufficie'nt width to fit the diameter of the needle sojthat when-it engages the needle the point of the knife is positioned without fail between the sides of the 'f needle loop.

Toprevent'damage to a shoe bottom by engagement with the knife 52 the cutting edge of the knife is surrounded by the arms of a guard plate 66. The guard .plate 661 has one .arm curved beneath and upwardly overtthevcutting edge-of the knife and another arm bent into a, horizontal position" to extend behind the needle loopand beyond the point ofthe knife to pretoeach other in opposite directions. Vent ac i a Contact by the hands of the [The positions of the blocks 36 may be adjusted operator by t o W t m P0 to increase orfdecrease the marginsjof the seams In another form the rf gu d plate directed by the edge gage roll l4. .Forflthis pur- 15 found l q e y Inasmuch, s'it o a pose, the blocks 36 are provided with threaded Q e Of the kmfe 5 dgth r openings through which pass threaded spindles Ward edge y n 1p Y d Y 1- =t 44 rotatably mounted in the ends of the box-like h krilfe 1 mdlcated -a ;6 m me, 4' portion of the bracket It. At the forward end a d 1s u d t sam a r as mt of the box-like portion the threaded spindles 44 p vlous arr Wlthlr} the w r 1 ,911; of are held against lengthwise movement in one --b 54- T e sam p u m r? a1S0 direction by enlarged heads 46 on the spindles 5 -i s employed with the unguarded kmfe -,68.-a-In engaging the forward end of the box-like porth1s mstance, however, the. kmfe is so shaped tion. .The' rearward ends of the spindles are that during its cuttmg'strokethe rearward-ledge vI provided with thumb wheels 41 for rotating; the Ofthe knife does .not' move rearwardlyombceyond spindles and retaining them from endwise movethe central axis of the needle. hlso the :use; of

- ment in the, iotherudirection. V a sharpened point onthe kn1fe'1s.-el1m1nated. so As has been stated, the arrangement of the fillat no guard is required in this instancerfor the seam lineo posite the 1 ep011'1. H

ezfi l e ga th a n d az l ii elimination of the presser Certain features of the invention relating to foot enables the use of an improved form of improvements in Thread Cutters are claimed in thread cutter. The thread cutter is manually a divisional application Ser. No. 129,033, filed November 23,1949 in the name of the present jacent said presser roll so as to engage an edge of a shoe supported by said horn, said edge gage roll being mounted for rotationabout an axis parallel to the needle path.

. 2. A shoe sewing machine having a reciprocating straight hook'needle and other stitch forming, devices, a rotary shoe supporting horn, a presser and an edge gage, in combination with a slide on which the' edge gage is mounted, a guideway for the slide disposed substantiallyat right angles to the path of the reciprocating needlaand a pair of separately actuated latches operatively connected to said guideway and slide for-securing the slide in either of two positions. I ,3. A shoe sewing machine having a reciprocating straight hook needle and other stitch forming devices, a rotary shoe supporting born, a presser and an edge gage, in combination with a slide on which the edge gage is mounted, a guideway for the slide disposed substantially at right angles to the. path of. the reciprocating needle, a pair of separate latches mounted on the slide, and separately. adjustable notched blocks mounted with respect to the slide for engagement by the latches and into the notches of which blocks the latches enter selectively to enable the position of the slide to be changed.

4. A shoe sewing machine having a reciprocating straight hook needle and other stitch forming devices, a rotary shoe supporting horn, a

presser and an edge gage, in combination with a slide on which the edge gage is mounted, a

' guideway for the slide disposed substantially at right angles to the path of the reciprocat ng needle, a pair of separate latches mounted on the slide for securing the slide selectively in either of two positions, blocks having latch receiving notches, saidblocks being positioned in fixed guideways which are parallel to the guideway for the'edge gage slide, and threaded spindles passing through the blocks to two positions of the edge gage. I

5. A shoe sewing machine having a reciprocating straight hook needle and other stitch forming devices, a rotary shoe supporting-horn, a presser and an edge gage, in combination with a slide on which the edge gage is:v mounted, a guideway for the slide disposed substantially at right angles to the path of the reciprocating needle, a pair of separate latches mounted on the slide for securing the slide selectively in either of two positionanotched; blocks having shoulders for stopping the movements of the latches and for causing the latches, to enter the'notches of the blocks, said-blocks beingpositioned in'fixed guideways which are parallel to theguideway for the edge gage slide, and yielding means for pressing the latchesagainst the change the v blocks, said latches having adjacent oppositely disposed pads for enabling the latches to be disengaged from the blocks simultaneously and the presser and an edge gage, in-combinationwith a slide on which the edge gage 'is mounted, a guideway for. the slide disposed substantially at right angles to the path of the reciprocating needle, a pair of separate latches mounted'on the slide for securing the slide selectively in either of two positions, notched blocks positioned in fixed guideways which are parallel to the guideway for the slide, and yielding 'means for pressing the latches against the blocks, said blocks each having a shoulder at one sided a notch to limit the movements of the latches along the blocks in either direction while enabling the latches to engage selectively-with the notches in the respective blocks.

7. A shoe sewing machine having a reciprocat- Q ing straight hook needle and other stitch forming devices acting during sewing to draw loops of thread through the work, and a rotary shoe supporting horn having a circular shoe sups run portion of restricted area surrounding the reciprocating path of the needle, in" combination with a frustro-conical presser roll I mounted for-rotation about an axis intersecting "the path of thereciprocating"needle, said presser roll being positioned adjacent the'circularshoesupporting portion oi the horn for engagement ofthatpart of theconical surface-of the presser rollhaving the greatest diameter, With'the shoe closeto the needle at one side of the lin'e'of the seam opposite the circular shoe supporting portion'of the hornito cla'mp the shoe against'the vhorn.

8. Ashoe sewing machine having a reciprocating straight hook' needle and other 'stitch' forming devices acting durings'ewing to draw loops oithread through the work, and arotary shoe supporting horn having a circular shoe sup- 'porting portion-of restricted area surrounding the reciprocatingpath of the needle, in combination "with .a frustro conical presser roll mounted forrotation' about an axis intersecting the path of the'reciprocating needle, said presser roll being. adjacent the circular shoe-supporting portion of the born for engagement of that part of the conical surface of the presser roll having the greatest' diameter, and a feed point acting in advance of the needle path within the seam line to feed the shoe to a position with an indentation formed thereby opposite" to that portion of presser roll engaging the shoe.

s ALFRED S. CLARK.

i nnesnn vcns crrs Thefollowing references arevof record in the nicer this patent; I

HINIITED S AT S-PATE TS J 1 Date Leveque Dec. 10;.1929 

